black opal ring
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by Richard Sherwood » July 1st, 2003, 1:12 am
Hi Glitter. An opal is one of those stones that has to be seen to be evaluated. The price range can fluctuate tremendously depending on several factors. There is much, much more to pricing them than pricing a diamond, for example.
Here's some of the factors affecting the value of an opal. How dark and what hue is the background body color? The colors involved in the play-of-color The intensity of those colors The type of pattern the colors exhibit - pinfire, flashfire, broadflash, rolling flash, etc. The size of the pattern The delineation of the components of the pattern The tranlucency or opaqueness of the stone Is any matrix apparent faceup? The origin of the opal (Lightning Ridge mine commands a premium) Is any crazing (spider web cracking) apparent? The shape of the cabochon The thickness of the cabochon In an antique ring you also would have an antiquity factor to consider. Do you have any pictures you could post? |
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Hm, sounds complicated. But it's so pretty!
The seller seems very honest to me. I've bought from them before and gotten exactly what they said I was getting. So assuming it's genuine black opal, solid not doublet or triplet, but not perhaps very high quality, and assuming the weights are all correct--it's really platinum, really 9 grams, really diamonds of decent quality--how much would be too much to offer? If the stone was worthless, what should I expect to pay for the setting alone? Any guesses? |
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I got tired of the generic avatar. But for various reasons, I need to maintain my anonymity. Thus the corner. Mara has already registered her complaints on the issue. 
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I would check out my good friend's website: http://www.downunderopal.com Take a look around it and she even has her email and phone number up there so you can call and discuss opals with her. She is one of the most knowledgable opal experts in the world.
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Well, I bought it. I'll post some pictures tomorrow. It's not a ring for shy, subtle, retiring people who don't want to be noticed. It may take me a while to get up the courage to wear it in public.
I can't tell if it's solid or a doublet (any hints?), but the setting is big and heavy, engraved all over with leaves & dots & milgrain, & apparently handmade (not cast). It weighs a ton (well, 9 grams). It's marked "Plat." and stamped with a six pointed star. (Anyone know whose mark that is?) Seeing it in person, I'm no longer convinced the setting is antique, but it's very well made. The opal itself is extremely dark, mostly blue with deep purple and a little green. I can see the sides (it's prong-set), and there's a straightish line separating the blue opally part from the bottom, which is dark and dull, which makes me think it might be a doublet? Or could it possibly be a solid boulder opal? I know, I know, get it appraised. Now, how do I clean it? The diamond baguettes aren't looking their shiniest, but I'm afraid to use anything that might damage the opal. |
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One of my older clients has 3 inherited old black opal pieces to sell.
Opals frighten me, but for a 15% brokerage and you all pay costs, I am happy to put you together. They are big peices, 2 are in victorian pendants. They are truly magnificent. Probably around $25,000 for the lot. If anyone is interested in 1 or all email me. garryh@ideal-scope.com No PM's please, I do not like that system.
Garry Holloway FGAA DipDT
HCA and Ideal-scope developer http://www.ideal-scope.com and http://www.HollowayDiamonds.com.au |
